Major American corporations reaffirm commitment to Paris Climate Agreement

About 300 corporations, including major industry leaders such as General Mills and the Kellogg Company, released a statement Wednesday reaffirming their commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.

The statement, addressed to President-elect Donald Trump, President Obama and Congress, comes as world leaders meet in Marrakech, Morocco during the U.N. climate conference.

Watery seating along Lake Trail next to the Flagler Museum at high tide Tuesday, November 15, 2016. So-called “sunny day” flooding is expected to get worse as the globe warms. (Lannis Waters / The Palm Beach Post)

Trump has threatened to pull out of the agreement, in which 200 countries agreed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

On the Trump transition team website, the “energy policy” section does not mention the Paris agreement, but does say; “Rather than continuing the current path to undermine and block America’s fossil fuel producers, the Trump Administration will encourage the production of these resources by opening onshore and offshore leasing on federal lands and waters.”

A spokesman for General Mills confirmed the statement this morning.

“As we did when the Paris Climate Agreement was signed, we are reaffirming our commitment to this historic agreement and encourage world leaders to continue driving global collaboration on this important initiative.”

Colin Polsky, director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Environmental Studies, said he hopes Trump’s actual climate change actions are more nuanced than the campaign rhetoric, and that he listens to what some of America’s largest corporations say about global warming.

The 300 businesses that joined in Wednesday’s statement include Hilton, IKEA North American Services, Levi Strauss & Co., and the Kellogg Company.

In September 2015, six major banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, signed a statement acknowledging that greenhouse gases are contributing to global warming and asking for policies to mitigate climate-related risks.

“I’m keeping on with our work, but I just don’t know what tomorrow will bring with the new administration,” Polsky said. “In south Florida in particular we are really facing these issues in real time.”